Latch



S. H..MILLER.

LATCH.

' APPLlCATlON FILED DEC. ISI-15H9. 1,351,300. Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

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LATCH. i

To all whom, t may com/:ffm

lie it known that l, SAMUEL H. VIILLER, a citizen of the United States, .residing aiflfa Junta, in the county of Otero and State of Colorado, 'have invented certain new jand useful lmprovements in Latches,of which the following is 'a specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improvements in latches, and hasrelationmore particularly to a device of this ygeneral character embodying a latch bolt supported substantially for rectilinear .movement, and it is an object of the'invention to provide novel and improved means whereby the latch may be effectively held in a retracted position to avoid the necessity of operating the spindle l ofthe lock.

1t is also an object of the invention to provide novel and improved'meansvfor maintaining the latch bolt in retracted position, and which means isV operated eXteriorly of the casing or of the doory to whichthe lock may be applied.

The invention consists construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts ofiny improved latch whereby certain important advantages are attained andthe device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth. Y The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

ln orderthat my invention may be the better understood, I will-now proceed to describe the same with referenjceto the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view partly in section an dI partly in elevationl illustrating a latch constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a view similar to F ig. 1, showing certain of the parts in a second position, and, i Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective illustrating the tensioning means-carried by the vertically disposed arm or member, as herein included.

As disclosed in'the accompanying drawings, ,C denotes a lock casing adapted to be applied to a door in a conventional manner and mounted for substantially rectilinear movement within said casing is a latch bolt L of a well known type, and which latch bolt L is adapted to be operated through Application filed ,December is, 1919. serial am. 344,578.

i `When the in the Adetails of Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Allg., 31',

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' SAMUEL H. MILLER, LA. JUNTA, COLORADO.

the instrumentality of a spindle, asis also well known. l' .y l

Y Mounted within the casing C 'at a point below thev latch bolt L and for' movement in a vertical direction is an elongatedfmember or arm 1. The lower end portion of the member or armf1 is pivotally engaged, as'

at 2, to the vfree end lportion of a lug or extension 3 carriedl by the central `portionV of a' vertically disposed bar 4;'. In pivotal engagement, as at 5, withfeach end portionof the memberis a shank or stud6, constitutingV aclutch member, and which shank is slidably disposed the easing C.

wardly, the member f4 is ro'cked'u'pwa'rdly about its pivotal connection" 5 with the" upper shank or stud 6, resulting in an upward movement of the member or arm 1. When the latch bolt L is` retracted the upper end through front face of* shankor stud y6 is `forcedin portion of the member or arm 1 engages within a lrecess or notch 7 Vproduce-d inl the lower face or edge of'the bolt L, and whereby said bolt` is maintainedretracted so that the'fdoor to whichfthe lock i's''applied may be readily opened without' the `:necessity of turningv the spindle, or inanipulatingjother operatingmechanism vfor the bolt I'llhis is particularly desirable v in "connection with a door for a store, so thatV persons having Vpackages or the like in their handsv do not have to retract the bolt L when they desire to open vthe door.'v

vWith the bolt L held in a retracted position through the instrumentality of l the member or arm 1, and if it* isv desired *to return the bolt L to its normal or active position, it is only necessary to forceV the upper shank or stud 6 inwardly, and which A movement results in a downward movement 'of the member or arm 1 suiicient toreleasel the bolt L. This movement also results' in thelower shank or stud 6 being forced outwardly suflicient to permit its operation to again engage the member or arm 1 with the latch L. Y when .the lower shank orlstud 6 is forced inwardly the upper shank or stud 6 is forced outwardly a .distance suflicient vto permit its operation to disengagethe arm orv memberV 1 from the latch L.

It is alsov to be understood thatl l lot `The shanks or studs 6 have movement and the outer v Y the Shanks or studs 6, so that when either casing C of said Shanks or studs 6 extended outwardly of the casing, they will offer no obstruction or hindrance to the closing of the door, as the outer end portion of said shank or stud 6 will be substantially flush with' or slightly inwardly of the outer face oftheJ front of the casing C.

The upper portion of the member or arm l is positioned between the inwardly directed lugs 9 carried by a side face of the casand which lugs operate to maintain Y ing the member or arm l in desired position.

I also iind it of advantage to provide a face of the member or arm 1- with a Lflat spring l0 or other tensioning device which coacts with the adjacent side face or wall of the casing C to firmly maintain the member or arm l againstmovement, and particularly against downward movement when said member'or arm l is elevated to engage within the notch or recess 7 in the lower edge of the latch bolt L. l

As is particularly illustratedl in F ig. 3, the spring 10 comprises a leaf secured to the member but substantially midway the length of the spring. The spring l0 is disposed longitudinally on such curvaturel whereby the extremities or opposite end portionsl thereof have contact with a side face of the As is particularly illustratedv in Figs. l and2 of the drawings, it is to be noted that the bar 4 is supportedV substantially midway its length, as at 12, for rocking movement. y

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a latch constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use byreason of the convenience and facility with which it maybe assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not Vwish to be understood as Vlimiting myself to the precise arrangement Yand formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.v

I claim: Y

In combination with a lock mechanism including a casing and a latch bolt, a pair of spaced studs havingA sliding movement through a wall of a casing, a member pivotally engaged with and connecting the inserted end portions of the studs, and provided with an outstanding arm, a vertically disposed member pivotally engaged at one end portion with the opposite end portion of said arm, said last-named member coacting` with the bolt when retracted and upon inwardmovement of one of the studs for holding the bolt against outward movement,

a pair of spaced lugs carried by the casingV ond member, the extremities of said spring' leaf coacting with the face of the casing for holding said second lmember againstv movement away from the bolt when in working engagement therewith.

f In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiiX my signature.

SAMUEL H. MILLER. j 

